Queen Victoria Mourning & Other Royal Rituals

Victoria Day is a Canadian holiday celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday, which was May 24, 1819. And while the holiday celebrates the life of our second longest reigning monarch (Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her), one of the most often told stories about Queen Victoria is about how she mourned her beloved husband, Prince Albert.


Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died in late 1861 of typhoid fever. The Queen was so devastated by his death that she wore mourning clothes (black) for the rest of her life. She also shuttered herself in, avoiding London. She was known as “The Widow of Windsor.”


On January 22, 1901, Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 and was interred at Frogmore Mausoleum, Windsor. This means that she mourned Prince Albert for nearly 40 years.


The Royal Family: Mourning and Burials beyond Queen Victoria

While the story of The Widow of Windsor is intriguing, it’s not the only curious tale about the royal family’s traditions when it comes to death, burial and mourning.


For instance, the current family must always travel with a black outfit in case a member of the family dies while they’re away. This started when Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, was away when her father, King George VI, passed away. Attendants had to bring her black clothing aboard the airplane after it landed so she could change and disembark in the proper attire.


Then there is the discovery and reburial of the body of King Richard III. Richard III was the last English king to die in battle. After his death, his body was removed from the battlefield and crudely buried at Greyfriars Friary in Leicester. After the church was dissolved and demolished, the body was more or less forgotten. In 2012, a team found the spot where the church once stood and began excavating what was then a parking lot. Yes, a famous English king was discovered beneath a parking lot 500 years after his burial. He was reburied in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.


Speaking of Richard III, the youngest English monarch to die was his predecessor Edward V.


King Henry VIII

You cannot talk about the English Monarchy and death and not mention King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII is most famous for his six wives. As many of us know, some of them had untimely and gristly endings. The six wives were: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catharine Parr.


Some people remember their fate with this poem: Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.


Other interesting fact about Henry VIII is that he was buried next to his 3rd wife – Jane Seymour. Why Jane? She died giving birth to a son – giving Henry what his previous two wives could not: a male heir. She also died before she could fall out of his favour.


Did you learn anything new about the British Royal family? Do you still believe in wearing black to funerals, or is that old-fashioned?


We at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home and Cremation Centre hope you enjoy your Victoria Day weekend. Celebrate the long and prolific reign of Queen Victoria!

Funeral Services

September 17, 2025
Personalized service and attention to every detail are two cornerstones of our North York funeral services. We understand very well how trying and overwhelming emotionally times like these can be. We want to make it very clear that our funeral home staff is always available to help. In fact, our services are available 24 hours a day so we can help you over a rough time in your family’s life. Outstanding care and support are two of the other foundations that we provide our clients. Chapel Ridge Funeral Home has a team of funeral directors and counselors who understand they are in business but members of a vibrant community at the same time. North York Cremation In your time of need, we are there to supply a variety of different services including North York cremation. Our caring and compassionate approach in difficult times has given us a reputation among our community. We understand how important it is to get the funeral service exactly right so it is part of a healing process and saying goodbye at the same time. As far as our North York cremation services go, we have a variety of options for you to choose from. Whether you choose to keep the remains or bury them in a plot of your choosing, we are here to help make the necessary arrangements. North York Funeral services Our North York funeral services are both affordable and flexible. It gives us great pleasure to be able to work with our clients to make these services personal. Keeping your loved one’s memory alive for future generations is something that we always have in mind if you choose to let us help you with the details. We always suggest that you get as much input as possible. That means drawing from your circle of family and friends to get each and every detail to the point where you are comfortable. We make it our business to simplify the entire process for you. That’s why you’ll be able to find a North York funeral services checklist on our website. It takes some of the pressure off making arrangements and keeps them from becoming overwhelming. North York Burials One of the other advantages you’ll get with our Chapel Ridge Funeral Home services is some choices when it comes to North York burials. We want to be sure that your family gets each detail exactly right and we will be proud to work in accordance with your cultural and faith-based beliefs.

Scarborough Funeral Services

September 17, 2025
Here at the Chapel Ridge Funeral Services, we pride ourselves on the fact saying goodbye to a loved one doesn’t need to be overwhelming and stressful. Our personalized funeral home services are geared towards each individual family and a respectful experience. Our compassionate staff understands that these can be very difficult times for any family. That’s why we pride ourselves on our welcoming and comfortable atmosphere and staff that can guide you through the funeral home process in a compassionate way. We encourage our valued clients to ask questions. Expert staff will listen and make sure that each detail is exactly what you want. Scarborough Cremation Tastefully Done When people come to our funeral home and look through the services we offer, they are impressed that our Scarborough cremation services are tasteful and elegant. One of the major reasons is we have a sense of community. Because we are a family owned business, we want to give back to the community we live in. Not only are we your neighbors, but we are also proud Canadians. Chapel Ridge Funeral Home provides the kind of personalized touch you won’t find with larger more institutionalized funeral homes. Scarborough Funeral services One of the other things that we are extremely proud of is the fact our Scarborough funeral services offer flexibility. We’ve taken the time to put together prearrangement and prepayment options. That way, the funeral expenses are out of the way and every detail has been looked after. This type of option offers families the ability to concentrate on a memorable service or celebration of life as they wish. Affordability is another one of the benefits that you will get when your family uses our services. We consistently have more affordable prices than the competition. What’s more, we strive to beat any of their written price estimates. It’s all part of our Scarborough funeral services commitment to each family. Scarborough Burials Our Scarborough burials can include a large chapel and other amenities to make sure every service is tasteful and elegant. The Chapel has some additional features that can make any funeral service more memorable. Not only does this facility seat 150 people, but it also has a Victorian stained-glass window.  Finally, it’s important to us to look after the people we provide services for from different faiths and cultures. It’s all part of the complete services we offer under the banner of Scarborough burials.

Thornhill Funeral Services

September 17, 2025
A Funeral Home That Cares Dignity and respect are two of the cornerstones of our Thornhill funeral services. Chapel Ridge Funeral Home is always available whether your preplanning or need immediate help. We understand how stressful these kinds of situations can be. That’s why we are here to help you and your family through every aspect of the process. Making sure the service that you create is memorable and honours the complete story of your deceased relative’s life is our number one priority. We celebrate the wishes of people from different backgrounds and belief systems. Our staff is very proud of their professional compassionate approach. Because we are the a funeral home that cares, you can contact us anytime to make arrangements. Thornhill Cremation Services It doesn’t matter whether you and your family are looking for a traditional funeral or cremation for your loved one, we can help. Our Thornhill cremation services are elegant and tasteful. We understand that making any kind of arrangements after the death of a loved one can be traumatic. That’s why our understanding staff can guide you through the entire process. We can help you with some of the details that you might not have known about. For example, it’s important to decide who the main contact for the funeral home will be. Over the years we’ve been in this business, we also suggest to our clients they have someone come with them for support during these difficult times. Complete Thornhill Funeral Services Chapel Ridge Funeral Home takes great pride in supplying Thornhill funeral services that are complete and compassionate at the same time. It’s our number one priority to make sure that saying goodbye to a loved one is a memorable experience. We even offer celebration of life services for those so inclined. Our experts are well-versed in going through all of the different details that make our Thornhill funeral services sophisticated. For example, we will implement all of your family traditions into the service and your customs and beliefs as well. Chapel Ridge Funeral Home Thornhill Burials Creating a memorable service for your family is at the center of everything we do when it comes to Thornhill burials. We will stand beside you every step of the way and help you with all the details including pallbearers and where the actual service will take place.  Chapel Ridge Funeral Home knows the importance of being thorough.